🌍 DoE Director battles against misinformation

Gina Ebanks-Petrie, the director of the Department of Environment (DoE), is actively working to correct critics of the DoE and the National Conservation Council who accuse them of delaying development. Ebanks-Petrie emphasizes that the planning delays are due to the Central Planning Authority’s (CPA) misunderstanding of the National Conservation Law and the guidelines issued by the DoE. She states that the board is adding unnecessary steps to the process, causing applications to be adjourned. 🏢

Despite meeting with the CPA to clarify the process, Ebanks-Petrie notes that the CPA members continue to adjourn applications based on their misunderstanding. The DoE and the National Conservation Council have no authority to stop these actions, even though there is no reasonable explanation for them. Ebanks-Petrie also addresses the misinformation circulating about the conservation law, stating that the issues being raised by critics are the same ones that were raised before the law was even passed. 🌳

Ebanks-Petrie rejects the idea that the conservation law or the processes involved have caused a decrease in development. She invites critics to observe the current pace of development and notes that since the law was passed, only around 1% of projects have been required to undertake an environmental impact assessment. The DoE does not approve or reject any planning applications but can only give recommendations, and there are only limited circumstances where the National Conservation Council can direct planning not to approve a project. 🏞️